MMA Top 25 by weight class through fights of September 30, 2021
Heavyweight - over 205 lbs.
| Sept Rank |
Oct Rank |
Fighter | WC | Rating | Rated Record | Org | September results; •October schedule |
| 1 | 1 | Francis Ngannou | HW | 85.66 | 10-2-0 | UFC |  |
| 2 | 2 | Stipe Miocic | HW | 67.54 | 15-4-0 | UFC | --last rated win -13 months. |
| 3 | 3 | Ciryl Gane | HW | 40.38 | 8-0-0 | UFC | |
| 4 | 4 | Daniel Cormier | HW | 35.03 | 18-3-0 | UFC | --last rated win -34 months. |
| 5 | 5 | Philip De Fries | HW | 30.65 | 13-6-0 | KSW | |
| 7 | 6 | Curtis Blaydes | HW | 28.88 | 11-3-0 | UFC | Beat #16 Jairzinho Rozenstruik |
| 6 | 7 | Derrick Lewis | HW | 27.48 | 14-6-0 | UFC | |
| 8 | 8 | Valentin Moldavsky | HW | 21.90 | 7-1-0 | Bell | |
| 9 | 9 | Mukhomad Vakhaev | HW | 21.87 | 6-1-1 | ACA | |
| 10 | 10 | Cheick Kongo | HW | 20.17 | 29-11-2 | Bell | |
| 11 | 11 | Ali Isaev | HW | 19.48 | 6-0-0 | Prof | --last rated win -21 months. |
| 12 | 12 | Marcin Tybura | HW | 19.09 | 15-6-0 | UFC | •10/30 vs. #13 Alexander Volkov |
| 13 | 13 | Alexander Volkov | HW | 18.95 | 21-8-0 | UFC | •10/30 vs. #12 Marcin Tybura |
| 14 | 14 | Mirko Filipovic | HW | 18.55 | 34-11-2 | Bell | --last rated win -31 months. |
| 15 | 15 | Alistair Overeem | HW | 18.01 | 41-19-0 | UFC | --last rated win -12 months. |
| 17 | 16 | Timothy Johnson | HW | 17.52 | 11-6-0 | Bell | •10/23 vs. #33 Fedor Emelianenko |
| 20 | 17 | Chris Daukaus | HW | 17.26 | 4-0-0 | UFC | Beat #48 Shamil Abdurakhimov |
| 18 | 18 | Fabricio Werdum | HW | 16.96 | 24-9-1 | Prof | --last rated win -14 months. |
| 21 | 19 | Evgeniy Goncharov | HW | 16.60 | 7-1-0 | ACA | Beat #39 Daniel Omielanczuk |
| 19 | 20 | Vitaly Minakov | HW | 16.60 | 14-1-0 | Bell | •10/23 vs. #41 Said Sowma |
| 23 | 21 | Tom Aspinall | HW | 16.51 | 4-0-0 | UFC | Beat #37 Sergey Spivak |
| 22 | 22 | Alikhan Vakhaev | HW | 14.87 | 5-0-0 | ACA | |
| 24 | 23 | Ji Won Kang | HW | 14.52 | 1-0-0 | One | |
| 26 | 24 | Linton Vassell | HW | 14.18 | 11-6-0 | Bell | |
| 25 | 25 | Tomasz Narkun | HW | 14.05 | 12-4-0 | KSW | --last rated win -24 months. |
Light Heavyweight - 205 lb. limit
| Sept Rank |
Oct Rank |
Fighter | WC | Rating | Rated Record | Org | September results; •October schedule |
| 1 | 1 | Jon Jones | LH | 75.44 | 20-1-0 | UFC | --last rated win -19 months. |
| 2 | 2 | Jan Blachowicz | LH | 62.81 | 22-6-0 | UFC | [Interim LH title holder] •10/30 vs. #5 Glover Teixeira [to retain interim LH title] |
| 3 | 3 | Vadim Nemkov | LH | 50.92 | 8-2-0 | Bell | •10/16 vs. #13 Julius Anglickas [for interim LH title]? |
| 4 | 4 | Ryan Bader | LH | 32.71 | 22-6-0 | Bell | •10/16 vs. #8 Corey Anderson |
| 5 | 5 | Glover Teixeira | LH | 26.59 | 25-6-0 | UFC | •10/30 vs. #2 Jan Blachowicz [for interim LH title]? |
| 6 | 6 | Magomed Ankalaev | LH | 26.18 | 8-1-0 | UFC | •10/30 vs. #36 Volkan Oezdemir |
| 9 | 7 | Phil Davis | LH | 22.43 | 19-6-0 | Bell | Beat #25 Yoel Romero |
| 7 | 8 | Corey Anderson | LH | 22.22 | 10-4-0 | Bell | •10/16 vs. #4 Ryan Bader |
| 8 | 9 | Jiri Prochazka | LH | 21.42 | 15-1-1 | UFC | |
| 10 | 10 | Reinier de Ridder | LH | 20.75 | 5-0-0 | One | |
| 11 | 11 | Paul Craig | LH | 20.22 | 7-4-1 | UFC | |
| 18 | 12 | Anthony 'Lionheart' Smith | LH | 19.91 | 23-10-0 | UFC | Beat #20 Ryan Spann |
| 12 | 13 | Julius Anglickas | LH | 19.36 | 5-0-0 | Bell | •10/16 vs. #3 Vadim Nemkov |
| 13 | 14 | Magomed Ismailov | LH | 18.79 | 8-1-1 | ACA | |
| 14 | 15 | Muslim Magomedov | LH | 18.45 | 7-0-0 | ACA | |
| 15 | 16 | Aleksandar Rakic | LH | 17.79 | 8-1-0 | UFC | |
| 16 | 17 | Da Un Jung | LH | 17.53 | 3-0-1 | UFC | •10/16 vs. #20 Kennedy Nzechukwu |
| 41 | 18 | Jailton Almeida | LH | 15.84 | 4-0-0 | Dana | Beat #17 Nasrudin Nasrudinov |
| 19 | 19 | Shamil Gamzatov | LH | 15.06 | 7-0-0 | UFC | •10/30 vs. #48 Michal Oleksiejczuk |
| 23 | 20 | Kennedy Nzechukwu | LH | 14.39 | 4-1-0 | UFC | •10/16 vs. #17 Da Un Jung |
| 22 | 21 | Johnny Walker | LH | 14.28 | 8-2-0 | UFC | •10/02 vs. #62 Thiago 'Marreta' Santos |
| 21 | 22 | Luke Rockhold | LH | 13.99 | 14-4-0 | UFC | --last rated win -48 months. |
| 43 | 23 | Ihor Potieria | LH | 13.46 | 2-0-0 | Dana | Beat #26 Lukasz Sudolski |
| 24 | 24 | Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov | LH | 12.95 | 6-1-0 | Bell | •10/16 vs. #39 Karl Albrektsson |
| 27 | 25 | Jamahal Hill | LH | 12.68 | 5-1-0 | UFC |
Middleweight - 185 lb. limit
| Sept Rank |
Oct Rank |
Fighter | WC | Rating | Rated Record | Org | September results; •October schedule |
| 1 | 1 | Robert Whittaker | MW | 54.73 | 15-5-0 | UFC |  |
| 2 | 2 | Israel Adesanya | MW | 53.58 | 11-1-0 | UFC | |
| 3 | 3 | Gegard Mousasi | MW | 52.35 | 39-7-2 | Bell | |
| 4 | 4 | Georges St. Pierre | MW | 38.59 | 24-2-0 | UFC | --last rated win -46 months. |
| 5 | 5 | Rafael Lovato Jr. | MW | 35.68 | 7-0-0 | Bell | --last rated win -27 months. |
| 6 | 6 | Derek Brunson | MW | 32.07 | 18-7-0 | UFC | Beat #21 Darren Till |
| 7 | 7 | Sean Strickland | MW | 24.91 | 18-3-0 | UFC | |
| 8 | 8 | Lorenz Larkin | MW | 22.74 | 14-7-0 | Bell | |
| 9 | 9 | Magomedrasul Gasanov | MW | 21.64 | 4-0-0 | ACA | |
| 10 | 10 | Jared Cannonier | MW | 21.31 | 7-5-0 | UFC | |
| 11 | 11 | Jack Hermansson | MW | 20.23 | 17-6-0 | UFC | |
| 13 | 12 | Dricus Du Plessis | MW | 19.83 | 7-1-0 | UFC | |
| 12 | 13 | Paulo Costa | MW | 19.65 | 7-1-0 | UFC | •10/23 vs. #14 Marvin Vettori |
| 14 | 14 | Marvin Vettori | MW | 19.54 | 8-3-1 | UFC | •10/23 vs. #13 Paulo Costa |
| 15 | 15 | Brendan Allen | MW | 18.67 | 12-3-0 | UFC | |
| 16 | 16 | Salamu Abdurahmanov | MW | 17.76 | 5-0-0 | ACA | --last rated win -22 months. |
| 17 | 17 | Mamed Khalidov | MW | 17.71 | 24-4-2 | KSW | |
| 18 | 18 | Andre Muniz | MW | 17.35 | 5-1-0 | UFC | |
| 19 | 19 | Phil Hawes | MW | 17.07 | 3-0-0 | UFC | •10/09 vs. #66 Deron Winn |
| 20 | 20 | Bruno 'Blindado' Silva | MW | 16.81 | 6-1-0 | UFC | •10/16 vs. #59 Andrew Sanchez |
| 37 | 21 | Rafal Haratyk | MW | 16.11 | 8-1-0 | ACA | Beat #33 Azamat Bekoev |
| 23 | 22 | Jun Yong Park | MW | 14.84 | 5-1-0 | UFC | |
| 22 | 23 | John Salter | MW | 14.70 | 12-5-0 | Bell | --last rated win -13 months. |
| 24 | 24 | Uriah Hall | MW | 14.49 | 9-10-0 | UFC | |
| 25 | 25 | Scott Askham | MW | 14.26 | 11-5-0 | KSW | --last rated win -21 months. |
Welterweight - 170 lb. limit
| Sept Rank |
Oct Rank |
Fighter | WC | Rating | Rated Record | Org | September results; •October schedule |
| 1 | 1 | Kamaru Usman | WW | 91.47 | 14-0-0 | UFC |  |
| 2 | 2 | Colby Covington | WW | 41.67 | 10-2-0 | UFC | --last rated win -12 months. |
| 3 | 3 | Gilbert Burns | WW | 37.15 | 13-4-0 | UFC | |
| 4 | 4 | Leon Edwards | WW | 35.68 | 13-2-0 | UFC | |
| 5 | 5 | Vicente Luque | WW | 31.98 | 13-2-0 | UFC | |
| 6 | 6 | Yaroslav Amosov | WW | 29.81 | 8-0-0 | Bell | |
| 7 | 7 | Belal Muhammad | WW | 28.17 | 14-3-0 | UFC | |
| 8 | 8 | Jingliang Li | WW | 25.00 | 11-4-0 | UFC | •10/30 vs. #29 Khamzat Chimaev |
| 9 | 9 | Muslim Salikhov | WW | 23.76 | 7-1-0 | UFC | |
| 10 | 10 | Sean Brady | WW | 23.60 | 7-0-0 | UFC | |
| 11 | 11 | Abubakar Vagaev | WW | 23.39 | 14-3-0 | ACA | |
| 12 | 12 | Jason Jackson | WW | 22.53 | 9-2-0 | Bell | |
| 13 | 13 | Neil Magny | WW | 22.47 | 17-8-0 | UFC | |
| 14 | 14 | Ray Cooper III | WW | 22.36 | 14-4-1 | Prof | •10/27 vs. #17 Mago Magomedkerimov |
| 15 | 15 | Ali Bagov | WW | 22.30 | 14-8-0 | ACA | |
| 16 | 16 | Kiamrian Abbasov | WW | 22.14 | 5-1-0 | One | |
| 17 | 17 | Magomed Magomedkerimov | WW | 22.00 | 13-3-0 | Prof | •10/27 vs. #14 Ray Cooper III |
| 28 | 18 | Gadzhimurad Khiramagomedov | WW | 21.90 | 9-3-0 | ACA | Beat #42 Vitaliy Slipenko |
| 19 | 19 | Roberto Soldic | WW | 21.83 | 9-1-0 | KSW | Beat #73 Patrik Kincl |
| 18 | 20 | Santiago Ponzinibbio | WW | 20.88 | 10-2-0 | UFC | |
| 21 | 21 | Jarrah Hussein Al-Silawi | WW | 19.98 | 5-1-0 | Brav | |
| 23 | 22 | Stephen Thompson | WW | 19.77 | 12-5-1 | UFC | |
| 20 | 23 | Albert Tumenov | WW | 19.74 | 12-4-0 | ACA | --last rated win -22 months. |
| 22 | 24 | Jorge Masvidal | WW | 19.68 | 33-15-0 | UFC | --last rated win -22 months. |
| 24 | 25 | Michael Page | WW | 19.68 | 13-1-0 | Bell | •10/01 vs. #31 Douglas Lima |
Lightweight - 155 lb. limit
| Sept Rank |
Oct Rank |
Fighter | WC | Rating | Rated Record | Org | September results; •October schedule |
| 1 | 1 | Khabib Nurmagomedov | LW | 91.70 | 15-0-0 | UFC |  |
| 2 | 2 | Dustin Poirier | LW | 59.24 | 23-6-0 | UFC | |
| 3 | 3 | Charles Oliveira | LW | 48.66 | 22-8-0 | UFC | |
| 4 | 4 | Beneil Dariush | LW | 38.43 | 16-4-1 | UFC | |
| 5 | 5 | Justin Gaethje | LW | 37.19 | 16-3-0 | UFC | --last rated win -16 months. |
| 15 | 6 | Rae Yoon Ok | LW | 31.35 | 8-2-0 | One | Beat #6 Christian Lee |
| 7 | 7 | Islam Makhachev | LW | 29.32 | 12-1-0 | UFC | •10/30 vs. #88 Dan Hooker |
| 8 | 8 | Guram Kutateladze | LW | 24.30 | 6-0-0 | UFC | |
| 9 | 9 | Islam Mamedov | LW | 24.05 | 9-0-1 | Bell | |
| 10 | 10 | Roberto de Souza | LW | 23.72 | 9-1-0 | Rizi | |
| 12 | 11 | Natan Schulte | LW | 23.06 | 11-2-1 | Prof | |
| 13 | 12 | Grant Dawson | LW | 22.99 | 9-1-0 | UFC | |
| 11 | 13 | Artem Reznikov | LW | 22.93 | 5-0-0 | ACA | --last rated win -12 months. |
| 6 | 14 | Christian Lee | LW | 22.82 | 9-3-0 | One | Lost to #15 Rae Yoon Ok |
| 16 | 15 | Michael Chandler | LW | 21.44 | 18-6-0 | UFC | |
| 14 | 16 | Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov | LW | 21.41 | 8-1-0 | ACA | --last rated win -12 months. |
| 17 | 17 | Shinya Aoki | LW | 21.07 | 41-9-0 | One | |
| 18 | 18 | Mateusz Gamrot | LW | 20.94 | 13-1-0 | UFC | |
| 19 | 19 | Gregor Gillespie | LW | 20.44 | 6-1-0 | UFC | |
| 20 | 20 | Eduard Vartanyan | LW | 20.28 | 13-3-0 | OFC | |
| 21 | 21 | Vinc Pichel | LW | 19.53 | 7-1-0 | UFC | |
| 22 | 22 | Mansour Barnaoui | LW | 19.19 | 12-4-0 | Road | --last rated win -28 months. |
| 25 | 23 | Olivier Aubin-Mercier | LW | 18.87 | 9-4-0 | Prof | |
| 26 | 24 | Timofey Nastyukhin | LW | 18.85 | 6-4-0 | One | |
| 24 | 25 | Tony Ferguson | LW | 18.61 | 18-4-0 | UFC | --last rated win -27 months. |
Featherweight - 145 lb. limit
| Sept Rank |
Oct Rank |
Fighter | WC | Rating | Rated Record | Org | September results; •October schedule |
| 1 | 1 | Alexander Volkanovski | FW | 59.88 | 15-0-0 | UFC |  Beat #10 Brian Ortega |
| 2 | 2 | A.J. McKee | FW | 48.22 | 12-0-0 | Bell | |
| 3 | 3 | Patricio Freire | FW | 36.86 | 19-5-0 | Bell | |
| 4 | 4 | Max Holloway | FW | 29.05 | 20-6-0 | UFC | |
| 5 | 5 | Movsar Evloev | FW | 28.16 | 10-0-0 | UFC | |
| 6 | 6 | Chris Wade | FW | 26.98 | 14-6-0 | Prof | •10/27 vs. #9 Movlid Khaybulaev |
| 7 | 7 | Thanh Le | FW | 26.59 | 10-1-0 | One | |
| 8 | 8 | Zabit Magomedsharipov | FW | 26.11 | 9-0-0 | UFC | --last rated win -22 months. |
| 9 | 9 | Movlid Khaybulaev | FW | 26.02 | 7-0-1 | Prof | •10/27 vs. #6 Chris Wade |
| 11 | 10 | Isao Kobayashi | FW | 24.66 | 24-5-2 | Panc | |
| 12 | 11 | Josh Emmett | FW | 22.93 | 10-2-0 | UFC | --last rated win -15 months. |
| 13 | 12 | Arnold Allen | FW | 22.78 | 9-0-0 | UFC | |
| 14 | 13 | Magomedrasul Khasbulaev | FW | 22.72 | 14-3-0 | ACA | |
| 15 | 14 | Bryce Mitchell | FW | 22.50 | 8-0-0 | UFC | |
| 16 | 15 | Giga Chikadze | FW | 20.37 | 6-0-0 | UFC | |
| 17 | 16 | Chan Sung Jung | FW | 20.20 | 11-6-0 | UFC | |
| 18 | 17 | Keisuke Sasu | FW | 19.94 | 5-0-0 | Shoo | |
| 19 | 18 | Bubba Jenkins | FW | 19.73 | 11-5-0 | Prof | |
| 20 | 19 | Mads Burnell | FW | 19.23 | 7-1-0 | Bell | |
| 21 | 20 | Yutaka Saito | FW | 18.94 | 12-3-2 | Rizi | |
| 22 | 21 | Ilia Topuria | FW | 18.31 | 6-0-0 | UFC | |
| 23 | 22 | Apti Bimarzaev | FW | 17.84 | 5-0-0 | ACA | |
| 10 | 23 | Brian Ortega | FW | 17.64 | 8-2-0 | UFC | Lost to #1 Alexander Volkanovski |
| 24 | 24 | Garry Tonon | FW | 17.54 | 2-0-0 | One | |
| 26 | 25 | Salman Zhamaldaev | FW | 16.97 | 12-1-0 | ACA |
Bantamweight - 135 lb. limit
| Sept Rank |
Oct Rank |
Fighter | WC | Rating | Rated Record | Org | September results; •October schedule |
| 1 | 1 | Henry Cejudo | BW | 55.49 | 10-2-0 | UFC | --last rated win -16 months. |
| 2 | 2 | Aljamain Sterling | BW | 44.57 | 14-3-0 | UFC | [Interim BW title holder] |
| 3 | 3 | Bibiano Fernandes | BW | 42.95 | 21-2-0 | One | --last rated win -23 months. |
| 4 | 4 | Kyoji Horiguchi | BW | 40.31 | 27-3-0 | Rizi | |
| 5 | 5 | T.J. Dillashaw | BW | 31.21 | 13-3-0 | UFC | |
| 6 | 6 | Kai Asakura | BW | 26.12 | 12-3-0 | Rizi | |
| 8 | 7 | Merab Dvalishvili | BW | 25.92 | 8-2-0 | UFC | Beat #43 Marlon Moraes |
| 9 | 8 | Hiromasa Ougikubo | BW | 24.80 | 19-5-1 | Rizi | Beat #49 Takafumi Otsuka |
| 7 | 9 | Rob Font | BW | 24.08 | 11-3-0 | UFC | |
| 10 | 10 | Timur Valiev | BW | 22.54 | 9-1-0 | UFC | |
| 11 | 11 | John Lineker | BW | 22.44 | 13-3-0 | One | |
| 12 | 12 | Raulian Paiva | BW | 21.96 | 3-0-0 | UFC | |
| 14 | 13 | Fabricio Andrade | BW | 21.62 | 2-0-0 | One | |
| 15 | 14 | Sergio Pettis | BW | 21.45 | 13-5-0 | Bell | |
| 18 | 15 | Naoki Inoue | BW | 21.31 | 12-2-0 | Rizi | Beat #82 Yuto Hokamura |
| 16 | 16 | Cory Sandhagen | BW | 21.29 | 7-3-0 | UFC | •10/30 vs. #18 Petr Yan |
| 17 | 17 | Denis Lavrentyev | BW | 20.18 | 5-1-0 | Russ | |
| 19 | 18 | Petr Yan | BW | 19.52 | 9-1-0 | UFC | •10/30 vs. #16 Cory Sandhagen |
| 20 | 19 | Raufeon Stots | BW | 19.15 | 11-1-0 | Bell | |
| 21 | 20 | Ryo Okada | BW | 18.63 | 12-4-3 | Rizi | |
| 22 | 21 | Saidyokub Kakhramonov | BW | 18.37 | 3-0-0 | UFC | |
| 30 | 22 | Tatsuya Ando | BW | 18.36 | 10-3-1 | Shoo | Beat #76 Hayato Ishii |
| 23 | 23 | Jose Aldo | BW | 18.35 | 24-7-0 | UFC | |
| 24 | 24 | Umar Nurmagomedov | BW | 18.30 | 3-0-0 | UFC | |
| 25 | 25 | Magomed Bibulatov | BW | 18.13 | 11-2-0 | ACA |
Flyweight - 125 lb. limit
| Sept Rank |
Oct Rank |
Fighter | WC | Rating | Rated Record | Org | September results; •October schedule |
| 1 | 1 | Brandon Moreno | FL | 34.54 | 8-2-2 | UFC |  |
| 2 | 2 | Adriano Moraes | FL | 30.53 | 8-2-0 | One | |
| 3 | 3 | Demetrious Johnson | FL | 24.95 | 21-4-1 | One | --last rated win -23 months. |
| 4 | 4 | Alexandre Pantoja | FL | 24.45 | 8-3-0 | UFC | |
| 10 | 5 | Joshua Pacio | FL | 24.44 | 5-1-0 | One | Beat #9 Yosuke Saruta |
| 5 | 6 | Azamat Kerefov | FL | 23.34 | 7-0-0 | ACA | |
| 6 | 7 | Tatsuki Saomoto | FL | 23.19 | 14-1-0 | Rizi | |
| 7 | 8 | Deiveson Figueiredo | FL | 22.44 | 10-2-1 | UFC | |
| 8 | 9 | Askar Askarov | FL | 20.94 | 7-0-1 | UFC | |
| 11 | 10 | Danny Kingad | FL | 19.24 | 6-1-0 | One | --last rated win -20 months. |
| 12 | 11 | Koha Minowa | FL | 18.67 | 7-2-0 | One | |
| 13 | 12 | Murad Zeinulabidov | FL | 17.41 | 4-0-0 | ACA | |
| 14 | 13 | Jarred Brooks | FL | 16.96 | 7-2-0 | Bell | --last rated win -21 months. |
| 15 | 14 | Yuya Wakamatsu | FL | 16.69 | 12-3-0 | One | |
| 17 | 15 | Amir Albazi | FL | 16.42 | 2-0-0 | UFC | |
| 16 | 16 | Makoto Takahashi | FL | 16.38 | 10-1-1 | Deep | •10/23 vs. #67 Ryuya Fukuda |
| 19 | 17 | Matheus Nicolau | FL | 16.26 | 4-1-0 | UFC | •10/09 vs. #86 Tim Elliott |
| 18 | 18 | Shohei Masumizu | FL | 16.18 | 11-3-0 | Panc | --last rated win -26 months. |
| 21 | 19 | Kairat Akhmetov | FL | 15.98 | 7-2-0 | One | |
| 22 | 20 | Jimmy Flick | FL | 15.57 | 6-2-0 | UFC | |
| 23 | 21 | Yuto Uda | FL | 14.97 | 2-0-1 | Shoo | |
| 24 | 22 | Manel Kape | FL | 14.63 | 7-5-0 | UFC | |
| 9 | 23 | Yosuke Saruta | FL | 14.36 | 16-8-3 | One | Lost to #10 Joshua Pacio |
| 25 | 24 | Bokang Masunyane | FL | 13.84 | 3-0-0 | One | |
| 26 | 25 | Lito Adiwang | FL | 13.81 | 3-1-0 | One |